Ware support



Nov. 1, 1932. P. DH. DREssLER WARE SUPPORT Filed April 24, 192,8

mi un Patented Nov. 1, 1932 UNrree srares ratsam PHILIP DHC DRESSLER, OF CLEVELAND, OIO, ASSlGrlil'OR,r T0 NEW GASTLEl REFRAC- TORIE'S COMPANY, OF NEW CASTLE, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE WARE SUPPORT i Application filed April 24, 1928. Serial No. 272,422.

The general object of the present invention is to Aprovide improved means for supporting ware, and particularly ceramic Ware, While the Ware is being fired in kilns and during ware handling andv transporting operations incidental to its firing.

My improved ware support comprises a box-like body which may be described as an open ended tube of refractory material and Vrectangular in cross section, andl which is characterized by features 'of Vconstruction vand arrangement including'supporting provisions for a plurality of spaced apart pieces of ware whereby the ware support is given the necessary strength and rigidity to permit it to be lifted and bodily transported when filled with ware, and to permit a plurality of such Ware supports to be stacked up one above another to a suitable height on the kiln car 0 of a tunnel kiln, or onV the ioor of an intermittent kiln, while at the same time the weight `of each ware support and its ware supporting provisions are kept small as com- P pared with the weight of ware fired therein, `and the weight of the support and its contents may be kept small enough' to permit of the ware support with its Ycontents being readily lifted and handled by a person possessing no more strength than is possessed by the girls commonly employed-to insert ware pieces in, and remove them from the saggars in which ceramic ware is ordinarily fired.

The various features of novelty which characterize my invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming apa-rt of this specification. For a better understanding of the invention, however, and the advantages possessed by it, reff erence should be had to the accompanying (t drawing and descriptive matter in which I have Villustrated and described a preferred embodiment of the invention. Of the drawing: P Fig. l is a perspective view with parts i broken away and in section, of' a preferred form of ware support partially loaded with ware;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a modied form of ware support; y K Y Fig. 3 is a diagrammaticv side elevation of Fig. 4 is an end elevation the apparatus v,member Bof the support is shown Vas formed .through one ofthe ribs D2. v

the body portion of a tunnel kiln car loaded with ware held in the improved Ware supports; and

shown in Fig. 3. The improved ware support A, -shownfin Fig. l, comprises top and bottom wallsB, B, and an opposed pair of side walls C, C. The latter are shown as pierced with openings C to receive the ends of ware supporting rods or bars D. As `sho-wn in Fig. l, the opening C and rods D are circular in cross section, though they may 4be polygonal in cross* section as'are those shown Vin Fig. 2

so the rods may be partially rotated between Vsuccessive firing operationsV if and when this becomes necessary'o'r desirable because of lthe sagging or bending Vof the rods. As

shown in Fig. 1*, there are two verticalfrows of openings Cf in each' ware support side 70 C, and twoA corresponding rows of rods D, which are shown as spaced and arranged to support a multiplicity of superposed spaced apart ware pieces. As shown, the ware consists offlat slabs or tiles X, and each pair of rods D at the same level supports three side by side tiles X, each of which is of a length butl a trifle less than the' width of eachside member C. Inl addition, the bottom wall l with two ribs B parallel to the rods D` and located one beneath each row of rods. These ribs form supports for a lower ware piece or layer of ware pieces. Preferably, in order to provide ample strength and bearing support for the ends of the rods D with a minimum of ware support weight, each side meniber VC is provided with two vertical ribs D2, so disposed that each row of holes C extends A- With the ware support constructionshown inkFig. l, the two sides C, C, and the top and bott-om members B, B, each consists of a slab'for plate of ceramic material, the tw sides C, @,being counterparts of the other, and the top and bottom members B, B, also being counterparts ofV one another. As shown, each part B is formed .with a recess or groove B2 at each side edge to receive-the .adjacent edge or portions-of the adjacent i' 100 ASO external ribs or' proections B5.

edge of the corresponding side member C, the side walls of each groove B2 being formed by inner and outer projections or ribs B3 and B4, respectively, on the body portion of the corresponding member B. When the slabs formingthe walls B` and C as shown in Fig. 1 are assembled, they are cemented together. by any suitable cement such as one formed. of a mixture of. clay andsilicate of soda, or. one formed ofl glaze material'. When this cement sets andV` hardens, the structure com-VV prising the side parts C, G,'and top andbot.- tom parts B. B, forms a rigid unit having sufficient mechanical strength to permit each such unit with its ware contents to be lifted and-Stransported-manually, or on.` a conveyor belt or'transfer table during` the operations incidental to the use of the ware supportv in successive firing operationsr Furthermore, such relatively light-weight ware supportsrA possess sufIicient mechanical: strengths and rigidityto permit themto be stacked up to any usual orf suitableheight m an interm1ttentt kiln or on tbeware-supporting platform El of a tunnel kiln.- car as shown in Figs.. 3 and 4. y Y Y To facilitatethe stacking of' theV ware supports A, notwithstanding theY presence of sand orthe like on the top of a supportof platform on which another ware support 1s to be mounted'7 the-top and bottom pieces B may be formedA with suitably disposed: low

Advantageouslyl also the partsY G `are provided with external" horizontali ribs C3 providing convenient hand' holds and making'it. easier 'to lift the assembled and loaded units..

The describedz construction oftheY waresupportrt` out of separately formed fiat partsB and' G of. ceramic material with. mortised andV ycemented jointsbetween the parts, possesses a: number of special advantages. For one thi-ng.;A the' different parts Bf and` C may be readily and economically formed ine a; press withisueh ribs and depressions as are required or' desirableto insure the' necessary strength with a minimum of'weight, andl with-a desirable accuracy'facilitating: the assemblyV of the? wall parts andA insuring proper alignnur-int of eachi opening@ in vone sideA wall: C with the;x corresponding opening C in the oppositef sidewall. 1?urthermore,` this method of 'construction permitsfof the transportatiorr of theware supports in knocked-down condition from the pinceof'manufacturing tothepIacel of use.l Transportation ofthe waref supports* in their knocked-down' condition"` obviously ,reduces freight charges and 4breakage loss in transportation. rlillesimplicity of the construction and themortise joints facilitates an accurate'assemblage of the individual warez sup-ports at the'pl-ace of use.

'EheY improvedware supports are obviously adapted for" use firingany articlesl of cerazrmc. warey which cair be readily inserted in,

and removed from the waresupport and which are fired under conditions in which it is not necessary to prevent contact of the kiln atmosphere with the ware. The improved ware supports were especially devised and are of especial value, however7 for use in firing flat tiles. Heretofore, it hasbeen theV usual prac* Vtice. inciiring such tiles, to support them in fired' may be 50% or' sol greater than the m weight of the ware supports.YY The increase in the ratio. ofv tile weight tol tile support weight, thus made? possible amountsl :to nearly inordinary practice.- Sincevin the: firing operation the supportingjmeans must be heatj ed upf as well asthefware,y the relative reductionin weight of the ware supporting means givesal substantial practicalinorease incapacityjof aA given kil'nburni-ngga given amount of fuel inl a. given time. y'

In order-to'keep the: weight of each. ware 3,-); support and its load small enough to permit i of the ready manipulation; of'. the'ware supports filling, and emptying the latter preparatory to and'aty the end. of. eaclr firing'operatiomaware support A intendedfor'usen ring, ordinary flat walltiles, may advantageously be proportioned, as shown, to have the widthof itsA sides C but a trifle greater than the length ofy a. single tile Where conditions make it desirable, however, to place the tiles or-"othen'articlesend to: end in the support7 thelat'termay be formed witlia plurality of pairs of. rows of openings @1 and bar rods D10, as shown` in Fig; 2. Verticalarodsl)20 may be inserted: in; openings in the .topv and bottom@ walls for: limiting the movement of the tiles during; they loading operation. With the end to end arrangement showninl Fig; f2, a pair of such rodsD?0 arel placed between the adjacent endsof'each pair ofkend' to end? tiles. These rods may be either permanent or` removable.I :Ef removable', the

collecting onf the surfaces above the tile be comes sogreat that there is danger of vit dripping on the tile, the ware support canbe .turneduplside downlfor tlrelne-Xt firing ,operations wit out changing the capacity or varythe. effectivenessofv the support because and bottom slabs. v

While in accordance with the provisions of the statutes, l have illustrated and described the best form of the embodiment of my invention now known to me, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that changes may be made in the form of the apparatus disclosed without departing from the spirit of my invention as set forth in the appended claims, and that in some cases certain features of my invention may be used to advantage without a corresponding use of other features.

Having now described my invention, what of the similarity in construction ofthe top I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. A light weight support for firing ceramic tile consisting of an open ended tube of refractory material which is rectangular in vertical cross section and is formed with vertical rows of openings in opposed side walls, each such opening in one side wall being in alignment with a corresponding opening in the opposed side wall, the remaining walls of said tube being similarly formed to permit either to serve as the supporting base for said support when the latter forms one of a stack of such supports, tile supporting bars extending across the interior of said support and each having its ends received in a corresponding pair of aligned openings in the opposed side walls, said holes being similarly spaced relative to said remaining walls whereby said support has the same tile capacity when either of said remaining walls is uppermost.

2. A ware support for ceramic firing in the ferm of an open ended box-like body, the top, bottom and side walls of which are each formed of a separate slab of ceramic material, said slabs being formed with cooperating tongue and groove portions providing a mortise joint between each side member and each' of the top and bottomv members.

3. A ware support for ceramic firing in the form of an open ended box-like body, the

top, bottom and side walls of which are each formed of a separate slab of ceramic material, said slabs being formed with cooperating tongue and groove portions providing a mortise joint between each side member and each of the top and bottom members, and said members being cemented together at said joints.

A. A ware support for ceramic Vfiring consisting of an open ended box-like body of refractory material formed with vertical rows of openings in opposed sidewalls, each such opening in one side wall being in alignment with a corresponding opening in the opposed side wall, said side walls being thickened adjacent said openings to elongate, and give added strength adjacent said openings, and ware supporting bars extending acrcf's the ends received in a corresponding pair of' Yaligned openings inthe opposed Walls.

5. A ware support for ceramic firing in the form of an openended box, the top, vbottomo and si de walls of which are each formed of a separate slab of ceramic material, said slabs being formed with cooperating tongue and groove portions providing a mortise joint between each side member and each of the top C15 and bottom members, and said side members having spaced apart vertical reinforcing riblilre projections'and being formed with openings for ware supporting bars which extend through said projections. i Slo 6. A waresupport for ceramic firing in the form of an open ended box-like body, the top, bottom and side Walls of which are each formed of aseparate slab of ceramic material, said slabs being formed with cooperat- 381-0 ing tongue and groove portions providing a mortise joint between each side member and each of the top and bottom members, saidl top and bottom members being similar to one another and being each formed with an exi ternal rib at its opposite sides.

7. A ware supporting unit adapted fo manual and mechanical handling and to be stacked up with similar units one on top of anotherin' a firing kiln and consisting of anf95 open ended box-like body formed of slabs of ceramic material jointed and cemented t0- gether and formed with external reinforcing ribs and formed with openings in its opposed walls and Ware supporting bars having theirtoo ends received in said openings and extending across the interior of said body, whereby said unit may be made strong enough for its intended service, and light enough for manual, handling, and the weight of said body and@ bars may be kept relatively low in comparison with the weight of spaced apart material to be fired mounted on the said bars of the unit.

8. A ware support for ceramic firing in the form of an open ended box-like body, the top#l 10 bottom and side Walls of which are each formed of a separate slab of ceramic material, said slabs being formed with cooperating tongue and groove portions providing a mortise joint between each side member and each@ 'i of the top and bottom members, said Vmembers being cemented togetherat said joints, and the side wall slabsy being provided with'transversely extending external projections adapt-g.

ed yto serve as hand holds in lifting said s up-C12Q port.

' 9. A ware support for ceramic firing in the form of an open ended box-like body of refractory material formed with vertical rows,` of openings in opposed side Walls, each saide opening in one side wall beingin alignment with a corresponding opening in the opposed side wall, ware supporting bars extending across the interior of said support and eachh having its ends received in a corresponding@ pair of aligned openings in the opposed walls, `and one or more vertical rods extending transversely of said supporting bars for limiting the movement of Ware on said bars.

] l0. A ware support for ceramic firing in the form of an open ended box-like body, the top, bottom and side Walls of which are each formed of a separate slab of ceramic material, said slabs lbeing formed with cooperat- PID ing tongue and groove portions providing a mortise joint between each side member and each of the top and bottom members, and v Ware supporting means carried by said side o Walls and extending across the interior of Y'I said support.

Signed at Clevelandr in the county of Cuyahoga and State 0f Ohio, this 20th day of April7 A. D. 1928. .v A PHILIP DHUC DRESSLER. 

